Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-08-19
ENGLISH SIGNS.
Rise and Decline of an Important
Institution"

| Tho Legislation Enacted TO save London
From Observation-Disclosures OF An
| Client Observation-Disclosures De-
vioes--KinsIy Badges Adopted.
In times when signs were in general
use by all tradesmen, twas only natur-
al that each man should endeavor to
out-do his neighbors in the obtrusive-
ness of his signboard. Those firms
who advertise on street hoardings do
precisely the same kind Of thing at the
present day; each sndeavors, by means
Of brilliancy Of color or novelty OF de-
sign, to obtain, through his posters.
greater publicity for the wares he deals
| in, and to attract more attention than
his neighbors. just SO. q century or
more ago. many ingenious devices
were made use Of to force into notice
the signbosrds Of those days. Some OF
the boards were made Of enormous
size; others were painted in far
ing colors; others bore strik-
ing or amusing objects, likely to be
remembered by those who saw them;
while others projected far out into the
street, or suspended within elaborate.
and often really ornamental, frame
works Of iron. When each tradesman
thus sndeavored to eclipse the sign
boards OF his neighbors. 1t may well be
imagined that Inconvenience was caused
to tho general public Complaints that
the size and prominence OF the sign
boards prevented the access Of sunlight
and the free circulation of the air in the
narrow London streets first began to
be heard. we are told, as early as the
beginning Of the fifteenth century,
when an order was made to abate the
nuisance. In the course OF time, how
ever. the evil grew again, till Charles
H., in 1867, directed that no sign
boards were thereafter to hang across
the streets, but that they were to be
fixed against the sides Of the houses.
Again, however, as years passed by,
the nuisance reappeared. In 1862, large
powers were once more granted,
and there was general and final
clearing away OF the too obtrusive sign
boards. Old prints and engravings of
the last century often give good idea
of the way in which the public streets,
both of London and other towns, were
once disfgured by these overgrown
sign-boards.
This general demolition in 1862 gave
a blow to tho use Of signboards from
which those evidences of past igno-
rance have never since recovered. But
had the conditions which first brought
them into existence remained the same,
there can be no doubt that the sign
boards would have again risen. phenix-
like. from their own ruins. Hap
PLY those conditions have not re-
manned the same. That knowledge
Of reading and writing which during
the present century has become wide
spread among all classes, has, it may
be truly said, given death-blow to
the universal use of signs and to
the art of the sign-painter This,
to be sure, is not matter to
call for regret on its own account; new
theless, the great decline in the use of
the old-fashioned pictorial signboards
10 to be regretted for many reasons.
The signs our ferefathers used have
as already pointed out-largely inter
woven themselves with our history. In
losing them, we are losing one of the
well-known landmarks of the past.
The signs OF the Woolpack and the
Golden Fleece, for instance, which are
still common in the Eastern counties.
are mementos of the time when the
wooden trade flourished in that part OF
England. The sign Of the Coach and
Horses, still very frequent sign every.
where, calls to mind the old coaching
days. Our numerous Arms, our many
Lions Bulls, Dragons. Bears and
Horses-red, blue, black, green OIL
white--and divers other strangely col
ored animals, most of which are quite
unknown to men Of science, are al
relics Of medieval times, when heraldry
was cherished and understood by every
one. Many similar instances might b.
pointed out, did space permit Most O
the signboards now displayed by oul
inns and taverns bear strong evidenc.
Of their own degradation from the higl
position they once occupied. Inasmucl
: as they now usually bear the name o
the house in written characters, the,
: show most clearly how entirely forgot
ten are the reasons which Originally
: led to the adoption of the use OF signs
Only now and then do we see pic
torial signboard of the real old-fash
, | iAnad sort
/, This decay in the use of inn-signs
I however, is no greater than the declin
, in Importance of the inns themselves
a These have, within little more than til
/ last half-century. descended from
position of great Importance and prot
perity to one Of comparative degrads
ton. Few persons of the present da
have an adequate idea of the extent {
which tayern-life influenced though
and manners fifty, one hundred. or tw
hundred years ago. Then each ma
had his tavern, much as we no.
have our clubs and reading-room.
there he nightly met his friends, hear
the high-priced London newspaper
read aloud, and discussed the polite:
and business topics Of the time. Dicl
ems, in Barnaby Rudge, has we
sketched the select village compan
which for many years had met night
at the old Msypole to Triple and debat,